I’ll admit that as cool and addicting as Pinterest can be for finding repurposed furniture ideas and upcycled goodness, I have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest.

Pinterest can make even Martha Steward herself feel insecure about her creativity!

You see all these amazing, jaw-dropping projects and ideas and you’re like, “Where the heck do people come up with these ideas?!?!”

You’re left feeling quite inept in the wonderful world of DIY.

You start doubting your ability to pull off something quite so ingenious.

And the next thing you know, you’ve hung up your apron and paintbrush, sighing, “What’s the point?? I’m not as creative as ‘they’ are.”

Trust me–I have felt this way at times, too, even though I think I am creative.

So you’re not alone in your creativity-bashing negativity.

But what if I told you that coming up with creative, out of the box ideas wasn’t so difficult, after all?

What if I told you that it was about asking the right questions before you start a project and then jotting down the answers you came up with?

The point of this post is to offer a blueprint for how to think of your next repurposing project and to get your brain firing off tons of creative ideas so that you can squash the notion that you’re not creative.

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Creativity is like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it becomes.

Most people don’t want to believe that. They want to think you’re either “born with it” or the “creativity” gene skipped them when they were conceived. LOL

As much as people love creating, the problem is that most end up like this guy, trying to flex their creative muscle, but it becomes so uncomfortable and painful!

But if you’re not flexing it often enough, it’s mentally exhausting!

It’s sort of like going to the gym after not working out for 2 years and trying to bench press 150 pounds with those weak noodle arms.

Ummm…..Not gonna happen.

To be creative, just as you would with lifting weights, it has to be part of your routine; you can’t just jump into it and expect to be as strong as The Incredible Hulk or crafty as Martha Stewart. LOL

But it’s possible to work your way up to that level of creative strength by asking the following questions every time you start a project.

You’ll be oozing all kinds of awesomely creative ideas!

Here we go!

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QUESTION #1: What does this item remind me of? Does it resemble something else?

This is probably the easiest question to ask yourself about something you want to repurpose: what does this look like? Sometimes it’s pretty obvious, but other times, you might have to think outside of the box.

Below is a picture of some chip trays that I found at the thrift store for only $1.99 each.

But what would you say they look like?

If you’re like most people I have asked this question to, they look like flowers!

Now just imagine if you hung those on the wall, screwing them in with a single screw through the center, and then painting green stems on the wall.

So get comfortable asking yourself, “What does this item look like to me? What does it remind me of?” This question can get your brain coming up with all kinds of ideas, even if you think you’re not creative!

QUESTION #2: Can I ADD Something?

Look at any DIY project on blogs and Pinterest, and you’ll realize that many of them added something. Common items that people add when repurposing furniture and other projects are:

Start making a list every time you see a cool repurposed furniture project or someone upcycled a piece of furniture or item. Write down the materials they used and keep a running list of materials that you could add to a project to give it that “WOW” factor!

QUESTION #5: Can I BORROW or REUSE Pieces or Parts?

Don’t ever feel like you have to use the entire item when you’re repurposing or upcycling something.

Sometimes the best thing about a piece of furniture or an item is its pieces and parts!

Look critically at an item and see if there are pieces or parts that can be cut off or unscrewed and used for something else (and then ask yourself the other questions about those pieces and parts).

For example, maybe you found an old sewing cabinet that has amazing wood legs that you know could be great for a small table. Cutting or unscrewing them and discarding (or reusing!) the rest of it is the fun part of coming up with new ideas for things.

Around the holidays, I had found this interesting railing from the ReStore. I didn’t know what to do with it, but I liked it and bought it.

QUESTION #8: What If I Made This SHORTER?

I didn’t want to get rid of the changing table when my younger outgrew it. So I removed the bottom shelves and reused one of the shelves for a whiteboard attached to the back, I was able to create a desk for my oldest son, where he sits and plays video games every day!

But I also cut about 3″ off the bottom, lowering it to be “desk-height.”

BEFORE

AFTER

This project also answered the repurposing questions:

What can I take away? – The bottom shelves!

What can I add? – I used one of the shelves from the bottom, flipped it over, and attached it to the back to make a whiteboard!

Think about what you can remove and if you were to make it shorter, what could it become–a desk? A coffee table?

QUESTION #9: Can I Hang This on the Wall or Ceiling?

But this is a good example of how she asked herself, “Could I hang this on my wall?”

And with a little bit of paint, she sure did!

When you find something that you’d love to find a new use for, go hold it up on your wall and see how it would look with a hook on the back as a display or something that could hang from your ceiling.

Lots of great ideas will come for sure!

QUESTION #10: What Skills or Tools Do I Need To Do This?

While this question isn’t necessarily a question that generates creative ideas, it does point out something important: most DIY repurposing projects you can’t do unless you’ve got paint, power tools, or a good source of great, discarded stuff!

I know that can be intimidating, especially if you’re on a limited budget or you don’t have much DIY experience.

But these are essential tools and materials you should start saving up for or put it on your “Gimme, Santa!” list:

That cart has rolls of tape on it as wheels. I don’t believe the tape will hold up under the weight of the cart. Hence forth I don’t believe they would “work for wheels.” How did you make them hold up?

Such a great post, wonderful ideas! So in the midst of my absence (I’ve been watching you from afar), I have news. We’ve bought a home and are closing this Friday (about 3 miles from our current home). Now, I will feel much more empowered to get creative with items to make it beautiful. It also has a 2 car garage, something we’ve never had the joy of having. While it will be hubby’s man cave for the most part, I definitely plan to take over part of it to repurpose and create.

YAY, Janice!! How did the move go? I think I saw on FB that you’ll have a bunch more space, right? That’s exciting! And–wait–a 2-car garage?! You will LOVE IT! Just a word of advice–don’t go “hoarding crazy” at the thrift store! LOL. That’s how mine got all filled up within a few years. LOL. Aside from that, you’ll be fine and you’ll love getting into the creative mode again! Congrats!

I thought I was a pretty good “repurposer” but I had this little railing left over from my parents’ small bookcase paint update I did when I received it this winter. But what to do with that railing? I was stumped!! But no longer!! I shall turn it into tree ? ornaments ❤️✅. You don’t know how thrilled I am to have a purpose for that piece. Thank you ?

I thought I was a pretty good repurposer but I’ve had this little railing I removed from my parents’ small bookcase when I repainted it because it was now in the way. But what should I do with it??? Now I know!!! Make Christmas ornaments!! Thank you so much!!!!! ?❤️✅

Serena
Just what I need. I’m convinced that I don’t have a creative bone in my body but I keep collecting items to repurpose and they just sit around with nothing doing. Your worksheet has given me lots to think about. Now I’m just waiting for the weather to warm up (here in Australia it is winter) to get to work in our cluttered garage on some ideas and maybe make some money along the way. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

You’re welcome, you’re welcome, you’re welcome! 🙂 HAHAHA. So glad to give you a jumping off point with that worksheet! I think you’ll come up with lots of great ideas now! And start telling yourself you’re creative. You’ll be surprised at how just saying the words “I am creative” makes you creative. “I think, therefore I am.” 🙂